


Playing Cards Used for Fortune-Telling

by Niokuma



Series: Hauntober [24]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Cardgame, French Language, Gen, Hauntober, M/M, Tarot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:47:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27178774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niokuma/pseuds/Niokuma
Summary: The teen boys play a card game.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: Hauntober [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948978





	Playing Cards Used for Fortune-Telling

**Author's Note:**

> Rated G for Gaming  
> Original Work for Hauntober Prompt =Tarot=  
> Characters: Makhel, Rio, Nioku, Tiok, Azmaria

=Tarot=

“What are those,” Makhel asked, watching as Rio pulled out a thick deck of cards.

“Playing cards,” Rio answered.

“That stack is pretty big and the cards pretty long to be playing cards,” Makhel stated.

“These are traditionally playing cards,” Rio stated. “They were adapted for fortune-telling.”

“Oh, thought you were going to read my future,” Makhel said, laughing.

“I don’t do that for friends and family,” Rio stated.

“Aren’t you worried that my vibes or whatever will ruin your connection with the cards,” Makhel asked.

“I don’t use these for fortune-telling,” Rio answered. “These are strictly for games. Have you heard of _Jeu de Tarot_?”

Makhel thought carefully and nodded. “My Grand-mère taught me a card game she liked to call  _L’Excuse Fou_ . If I remember correctly, it means The Crazy Fool and is her name for  _Jeu de Tarot_ . Her friends would make fun of her for calling it  _L’Excuse Fou_ .”

“Oh, you’re French?”

“Creole  and Cajun mixed ,” Makhel  stated . “My Grand-mère  taught me how to play. Don’t we need more people?”

“I could see if Nioku and Tiok want to join,” he stated and left the room returning a few moments later with Tiok and Nioku with Dean shortly behind them. The four boys sat in a square around the deck and Rio started shuffling.

“Let’s refresh ourselves on the rules since it’s been a bit since we last played,” Rio said, looking at everyone in turn. “This is a full deck game. There are four suits with ten pip cards and four face cards called the Roi, Dame, Cavalier, and Valet. There are also the  _ atouts _ numbered from twenty-one, the highest, to one, the lowest, in Roman Numerals. In addition to all these, there is an unnumbered card called  _ Fou _ . The  _ Fou _ , one, and twenty-one are collectively known as  _ bouts _ . These cards help decrease the number of points you need for a win.  All cards have a full and half-point card value. The Roi and  _ bouts _ are worth four-point-five, the Dame is worth three-point-five, the Cavalier is worth two-point-five, the Valet is worth one-point-five, and finally, the pips are worth point-five points. Now, draw a card, each of you, to determine the dealer.”

They all obeyed and revealed the cards at once.

“Looks like I’m the dealer,” Nioku said, and he looked at Tiok. “Care to shuffle?” Tiok nodded and took the other cards, shuffling the deck before passing it to Makhel who cut it once before passing it to Nioku. He proceeded to deal three cards at a time to each player split by placing a single card in the middle, face down but placed two before dealing the last three cards to himself.

“ _ Le chien _ ,” Nioku stated, motioning to the six cards in the  center . “ Does anyone have just the 1 of trumps?” Everyone shook their heads and they started to play.

***

“We’re ready,” Azmaria said, knocking on the door and entering. In the room, Rio and Makhel were staring each other down while Nioku and Tiok were holding their breaths. She furrowed her brow in confusion. Rio had two cards and Makhel had one card. Nioku and Tiok had paired cards sitting in front of themselves.

Makhel pulled a card from Rio and looked at it. “Grah!”

“We’ve been at this for half an hour, come on, you two,” Nioku growled out.

“Old Maid,” Azmaria asked and everyone nodded, except for Rio who, after waiting for Makhel to shuffle his small hand, looked the two cards over. He reached out but paused before smiling. He reached for a card and pulled it. He looked at it and cheered as Makhel groaned out.

“I win,” Rio cried out, throwing the pair of Roi to the pile in front of him.

“You were playing Old Maid with,” she sighed instead of finishing the sentence. “We’re ready. Come on.”


End file.
